Recommended Hardware

The readers PocketNFC pairs with, for MIFARE Classic, DESFire, and emulation work an iPhone alone can't do.
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Bluetooth reader

ACR1555U

ACS's Bluetooth smart card reader. Pairs with PocketNFC for full MIFARE Classic 1K/4K sector reads, dictionary key attacks, and DESFire application inspection — all the access CoreNFC can't give an iPhone app directly.

  • Full MIFARE Classic 1K/4K sector reads & dictionary key attacks
  • DESFire application & free-memory inspection
  • Dump restore and card cloning
  • Rechargeable battery, standalone Bluetooth pairing
View on Amazon ↗ Price varies — check current listing
Bluetooth reader

ACR1255U

ACS's compact Bluetooth reader — the same PC/SC-style command set as the ACR1555U in a smaller form factor. A good pick if portability matters more than the ACR1555U's larger battery.

  • Full MIFARE Classic 1K/4K sector reads & dictionary key attacks
  • DESFire application & free-memory inspection
  • Compact, pocketable form factor
View on Amazon ↗ Price varies — check current listing
Emulation & key recovery

Chameleon Ultra

The RFID Research Group's hardware — the pick if you need emulation, not just reading. 8-slot card emulation, nested/static-nested/darkside/hardnested key acquisition, Magic Card Gen1A/Gen2 support, and 125 kHz LF credentials, all driven from PocketNFC.

  • 8-slot card emulation with live sector-by-sector key-check grid
  • Nested, static-nested, darkside & hardnested key acquisition
  • Magic Card Gen1A/Gen2 read, write & clone
  • HF/LF sniffing, MFKey32 detection, 125 kHz EM410x/HID/ioProx
View on Amazon ↗ Price varies — check current listing

What PocketNFC's Chameleon Ultra support covers →

Not sure which one you need?

Read iPhone's NFC Limits — and How External Readers Fix Them for a breakdown of what each device is actually for.